Sad news

Lisa, my grandchildren's other grandmother, lost her battle with breast cancer Sunday night.  She maintained her joyful, positive attitude to the end.  The last time I saw her was in August at my grandson's birthday party.  Life is so cruel sometimes.  She leaves behind two children in high school and my grandchildren's mother.  I am so thankful that my grand kids were able to know and love her.  

Getting ready for Christmas

This is a Christmas quilt I made using the Missouri Star Quilt Company Youtube tutorial.    Jenny showed a clever way to make the scrappy four patches with charm squares.  I had an election for which quilt to send to Christopher, and this one lost.  (See previous post.)
I wasn't loving this quilt too much until I finished quilting it.  It looks very different in person.  I wish my picture could capture that.  Good thing I like it now because I am making another one and they are Christmas gifts.  If I hadn't liked them they would probably have gone to the SPCA for the puppies to enjoy.

This is a Christmas table topper I made with a pattern I bought while on vacation.  It didn't turn out quite like I had planned.  I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing while cutting and didn't have enough fabric to cut more.  I wanted the striped fabric to be the large triangle on the outside with the light green dotty print the outside border.  Other than that it was easy and quick to make.  I am hoping to make a few more for presents.  It can be made larger and used for a tree skirt, which is also in the plans.  I didn't have a large 60 degree ruler, and having one of those would have made this even easier.  I quilted it with free hand swirls that went fast also and I like how they turned out.

Christopher's Miracle Journey

I met a young lad on Facebook via links from friends and family.  Christopher is fighting a rare disease that until recently there was no cure for.   Around Christmas this year he will undergo surgery that they hope will cure him.  I was so touched by this young man and his joyful spirit.  He has a brilliant smile on his face even as he endures painful therapy.

They are conducting fund raisers to help raise money to pay the costs of the surgery that are not covered by insurance.  I cannot go to any of the fundraisers since he lives so far from me.  I decided to do what I could. I made him a quilt.  I told them to do whatever they want to do with it-auction it, raffle it or even just keep it. If they use it to raise money I really hope that it brings in a decent amount.

Without further adieu here is the quilt that I made for him.

Finished after two years!

 I started this quilt two years ago for my daughter and her husband as a housewarming present.  It got put aside as other projects came along.  I finally finished it!  I didn't realize how big it was going to be-102 inches square.  I never thought I was going to finish it.  As a side note-we live in a HOA neighborhood.  Of course the problem neighbor of the neighborhood is our next door neighbor.  We had to put up a privacy fence due to them.  They have turned us in to the HOA because of the line on the deck my husband put up for me to hang my quilts so I can photograph them.

 We went to Rehoboth Beach for a mini vacation this month.  I knew I would miss sewing so I took my Featherweight with me.  As luck would have it, we had a rainy day that I took advantage of and pieced a baby quilt I had cut out.

 Here is the view from the balcony.  It was supposed to rain the previous day-so we did lots of indoor things that day-no rain.  This day was supposed to be nice and sunshiny-lots of rain.

 Here is the baby quilt top laid out on the bed.  I just quilted it so it will be bound some time soon.

We rode our bikes to the next town over when we thought it was done raining.  We moved the table and chairs outside to eat and down came the rain again.  We still had fun riding around.  The shore is the greatest place to ride bikes-no hills to deal with.  

Giveaway

Did you do the Moda Blog hop giveaway?  That is one that I really enjoyed-learning a little bit about the designer's home towns.

Here is another giveaway .  It is for May Chappell's star quilt pattern and some 5/8 yards of Amy Butler fabric.

Getting ready for Halloween

 Happy Halloween.  This is the second D9P Halloween quilt I made with this fabric.  My daughter was going to make this one, but she works FT, home schools and has to take my grandson to multiple therapists during the week, so try as she may, she just doesn't have time for a labor intensive hobby like quilting right now.  This is another WIP that I finished this year.  My 11th finished quilt and my 3rd WIP.  I am pretty pleased with that record!


Ryleigh and Braydon spent a weekend with me in August.  They wanted to sew, so they picked out fabric and made pillowcases.  Ryleigh gave up before hers was finished, but Brady sewed his completely with a little help by grandma.  They also picked out buttons that they liked from my large collection.

Orca Bay finished!

 Orca Bay is finished!  I wanted to be sure to get this finished before the next Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt begins.  I didn't like this quilt much until it was on the design wall.  Wow-it just sparkled!  I guess that is why I am a lowly quilt maker and not a designer.  Few of the pictures of Orca Bay that I have seen do this quilt justice, including mine!








I liked the red border I saw on one Orca Bay, but didn't want quite that much red, so I did a black binding with red piping.  I am pleased with that touch of red.














                                                                                                                                                                   
We celebrated Madison's third birthday today.  I gave her the quilt I made for her-but she was more interested in all the toys!

Here is a picture of Gobi when he helped me take a picture of a quilt.  He is now living in a new home.  He ended up being too rough for my little grand kids.  They loved him and wanted to play with him, but he thought they were rough and tough pups like he is.  The lady who took him had him for a while when I couldn't take him because I had Nala.  Her daughter fell in love with him and he will be living with her family now.  She knows his personality, so she knows what she is getting into!  We miss him.

On a very sad note, my grand kids other grandmother, the one with breast cancer, is losing her battle.  She went into hospice this week.  I am so grateful I made the breast cancer quilt for her last year.  I really thought she would beat this.  She has such an upbeat personality and is always so full of life.  It just doesn't seem possible that her time is ending here.  I don't know what to say to her, but I want to say goodbye.  How do you do that?  I am not close enough to visit her, but I want to send her a card, and maybe a mug rug to put on her bedside table.  I don't think I have a lot of time, so this will be my Sunday project.